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The spider like creatures are the size of a pinhead, and while most are harmless, they can carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, which has an estimated 2,000 - 3,000 new cases in England and Wales each year.

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Tick bites may not be itchy or painful, making them easy to overlook or ignore.

Most tick bites happen in late spring, early summer and autumn because these are peak feeding periods for ticks and the time of year when most people take part in outdoor activities, such as hiking and camping.

“My children have had a couple of bites already this year,” said Stroud mum Cathy Dunn. “They’ve got them after running around kicking a ball on the commons. I now carry a ‘credit card’ sized tick remover in my purse all the time.”

Cows on the Minchinhampton Common

Lyme disease can be treated effectively with antibiotics if it's detected early on. But if not treated or treatment is delayed, there's a risk of developing severe and long-lasting symptoms.

Ticks are ground-dwelling and do not jump or fly, so they climb onto a host if they brush past something they are on, such as a blade of grass. They then attach themselves onto the host to feed and even water does not remove them.